Summer Camp in the '90s: Girl Scouts, Campfire Songs & Bug Juice

[@HeartCoils]

I never went to camp, I grew up in the UK but watching the American movies like The Parent Trap made summer camps look so fun! Full of practical jokes and hijinks, I’m not sure if it would have been for me, I’m on the quieter shy side and would have missed my family but it was entertaining to live vicariously 😆

[@SoTheresThat2]

Girl Scout camp was the best and I’m a Boomer! We went to Natchez Trace State park. Home of “The World’s largest Pecan Tree” I was also a Brownie, a Jr. Girl Scout, and a Cadette. By the time I reached the age of Sr. Girl Scout I had discovered boys and the last thing I wanted to do was wear my uniform to school, complete with sash, to school once a week. Thanks for the memories!

[@mw9884]

I'm so happy this podcast exists. You get excited about the same stuff I do, Jenna. I love Bug Juice and the L'Oreal kids shampoo, brightly colored pens, and cute stationery. I definitely remember the no ad sunblock...it was the only kind my mom bought in the 90s. I hated the smell of bug spray and was so excited when I discovered the orange can bug spray because it smelled tropical to me and sooo much better than the green can! Thanks for the memories. 🏕️

[@kurlykaitlyn]

I’m still haunted by vivid memories of many summer camps lol I remember at a particular one I attended every year, the counselors who outgrew the camp would do these speeches before jumping into the pool on the last night. We would hold candles and everyone would be crying like these people were dying. I just remember my young self sobbing over people I don’t even remember the names of 😂😂😂

[@nbunnysnowboard]

My camp would also have a candlelight ceremony at the end of every week and after the last week (7 weeks) the kids who went for multiple weeks including me were SOBBING and so were the counselors. I miss camp so much, it was one of the best experiences every year and I would look forward to it and work with my grandpa planting trees for the whole spring to pay for extra weeks. I worked so much I got to go to all 7 weeks one year and it was awesome!!!

[@thetravellingnanny5669]

I'm an Australian who worked in a summer camp in North Carolina in the summer of 2002. I was 18 years old looking after groups of 8 and 9 year old girls weekly. To think that those same girls are now 30+ years old blows my mind! 😮😂

[@Goldenretriever-k8m]

My summer camp was a whole month and my grandparents paid for it. It was in Alabama so it was relatively cheap! And we girls all shaved our legs outside with buckets of water and used silk effects razors and sun kissed raspberry shaving cream, and used so much country apple body spray, and teen spirit deodorant and herbal essence shampoo lol

[@nothingtofind9099]

I did girl scout camp but ours were shorter than a week and I did a religious camp that was a full month in the 90s as a Midwesterner. What surprised me about this episode is the 'camp' song Chick-a-boom one because we did that song for our summer swim-and-tennis club swimming team meets to psych ourselves up to beat the competition on home meets. Our coach would climb up to the high diving board with props to lead us all team members on the ground in the call-and-response cheers. Our signature chorus line was one about a banana-- so 90s. All this stuff gets recycled and repurposed in so many ways that makes it commonplace yet also a bit spiffed up for each organization's unique purpose.

[@JanayDiamond]

I love your content. It makes me happy 😊

[@jennaabarclay]

Thank you!! 💕

[@jaredallenramos4715]

​@@jennaabarclaydo u visiT chicag?

[@susier6743]

I participated in the form of Girl Scouts by the Salvation Army. For the little girls, it's moonbeam, older elementary girls sunbeams, and preteens to teens girl guards.

[@katiecurtis9730]

The shampoo!!!! I miss the blue and orange bottle scented in orange! My husband and I have tries to track them down, but they don't make them anymore!!! Love those! I have never found anything quite like it 😢

[@joannasmith4793]

I went to a church camp that was amazing in 8th grade I was so happy to go ! Swimming , fun snacks

[@LoversLane16]

My mom had the razor! I would always play with it in the bath because i was too young to shave. Hers was pink. But yes, u said flat with ridges and i instantly knew

[@coleslawYSJ]

It sounds like you're describing the bic Cristal fashion or colour pens: they were the same plastic as the classic blue, black or red bic pen, but they came in sky blue, lime green, hot pink and neon purple. If so, we sell them in Canada, and they're a staple for me. Ten pack for under $5. Fun fact: I only have one normal black ink pen at my desk, and it's for anything I need to officially sign. Any time I'm scribbling something down, or taking notes at a meeting, I'm using a pink, or purple pen 🤣🤣

[@AnnesFamilyRecipe]

I thought you might reveal why Eve & Jen were kicked out of camp?! 😂 loved the general nostalgia but wouldn’t be mad at a full on Bug Juice deep dive.

[@thehapagirl92]

I was in Girl Scouts (Brownies only) and then worked for Girl Scouts for a short time two years ago. I remember only camping with them once, at a big park in Long Beach, CA. SoCal camping is good in winter because it’s still warm lol. Still, fuck camping. The only other time I went camping was in 2016 when I went to the Anzo Borrego Desert in San Diego with my then bf. He had a tent not a cabin. A bat was chasing me and I refused to stay there, so we left lol. And L’Oreal kids shampoo was my favorite. I was 7 in 1999 and loved the watermelon scent and also Mr. Bubbles bubble bath!

[@destinigreen5267]

Love it.

[@joannaluft585]

I remember every single one of those dumb girl scout songs lol they literally did not change anything 10 years later lol

[@melastac]

Ooh, the Loreal kids shampoo that was red was scented as cherry almond.

[@KaylahZaccos]

HI JENNA I LOOOOVE UR VIDS I HOPE U HAVE. A GOOD DAYYYYY

[@jennaabarclay]

Thank youuuu 💖💖

[@kkpriskiee1570]

I think that red bottle of shampoo was cherry almond and I remember the smell in my head right now!

[@jennaabarclay]

YESSSSS you’re right!

[@joannasmith4793]

I went to a camp on Kelley's island and the showers were gross and my soap got lost and I smelled like lake Erie lol lol

[@jaredallenramos4715]

Do you visiT chicago?

[@WinterWind]

My name is "name" and you know what I got? What do you got? I got a cabin that's hotter than hot. How hot is hot? 🤣🤣

[@rosegarber169]

My parents were strict, so I went to an all girls summer camp in northern Michigan from the summers of 1997 to 2002. I am from the Detroit area and most of the campers were from my community (no, it was not a religious camp). I will say that it was very similar to what you see in “The Parent Trap.” Honestly, I would’ve traded places with you in a heartbeat if you wanted to go instead of me! Now that I am an adult and have children myself, I’m grateful for the experience as hard as it was at times. Putting a bunch of preteen/teen girls in a cabin together without regular access to snacks for weeks at a time… You do the math! 🤣🫠😜

[@Goldenretriever-k8m]

My summer camp was a whole month and my grandparents paid for it. It was in Alabama so it was relatively cheap! And we girls all shaved our legs outside with buckets of water and used silk effects razors and sun kissed raspberry shaving cream, and used so much country apple body spray, and teen spirit deodorant and herbal essence shampoo lol